Zaidi Leads Global Campaign to Improve Education
for Pakistani Children

NEW YORK, NY- March 18, 2014 - Baruch College Alumnus Mosharraf Zaidi (MPA ’01) has been recognized by the World Economic Forum as a 2014 Young Global Leader, for heading a global campaign to improve the quality of education for children in Pakistan.

Zaidi is Founder and Campaign Director of Alif Ailaan, a Pakistani alliance for education reform led by a communications campaign. The organization campaigns as a broad coalition of people and organizations committed to improving the quality of education for Pakistani children. Alif Ailaan does not support nor is affiliated with any one political party or politician. Alif Ailaan has been seed funded by the UK Department of International Development, as one small part of its package of development aid for education in Pakistan, funded to continue to 2016.

Previously, Zaidi held senior positions with governments and various international organizations. His most recent government assignment was as advisor to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Government of Pakistan. Zaidi has also advised the United Nations, the European Union, the World Bank, the Asian Development Bank, the UK Government's DFID, and the Danish and Swiss governments on policy issues in Afghanistan, Pakistan and the South Asia region. Zaidi writes a regular column for The News in Pakistan and frequently contributes to television and radio, including CNN, BBC, Al-Jazeera, PTV and Geo News. Zaidi earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Economics from Lahore University of Management Sciences in 1997; and an MPA in Policy Analysis, Non-Profit Management from Baruch College in 2001.

Zaidi is among the 214 new members of the Young Global Leaders (YGL) community selected by the World Economic Forum. Nominations for YGLs are accepted and reviewed by the WEF, using selection criteria focusing on each individual’s accomplishments. According to the press release announcement by the WEF, this year’s Young Global Leaders are: all under the age of 40 and grew up with digital connectivity. Most have lived, studied or worked in multiple countries, and see themselves as global citizens. They also have an entrepreneurial approach to creating change.

Established in 1971 as a not-for-profit Foundation and is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland, the World Economic Forum (WEF) is an International Institution committed to improving the state of the world through public-private cooperation. The institution engages political, business, academic and other leaders of society in collaborative efforts to shape global, regional and industry agendas. Together with other stakeholders, it works to define challenges, solutions and actions, always in the spirit of global citizenship. The WEF serves and builds sustained communities through an integrated concept of high-level meetings, research networks, task forces and digital collaboration. It is independent, impartial and not tied to any special interests, working in close cooperation with all major international organizations.

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About Baruch College:Baruch College is a senior college in the City University of New York (CUNY) with a total enrollment of more than 17,000 students, who represent 160 countries and speak more than 100 languages. Ranked among the top 15% of U.S. colleges and the No. 5 public regional university, Baruch College is regularly recognized as among the most ethnically diverse colleges in the country. As a public institution with a tradition of academic excellence, Baruch College offers accessibility and opportunity for students from every corner of New York City and from around the world. For more about Baruch College, go to http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/.